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Desiree: So, Joden Bob, tell us a little bit about how you came to Red Cedar:
Bob: I feel like I’ve been practicing Buddhism a long time but only formally since I started at Red Cedar. How this happened though was by traveling around on a home exchange program and one of those trips was to San Francisco.
We like to use “the Lonely Planet” guidebook as my guide and one of the places it suggested to visit in San Francisco on a Saturday, was the San Francisco Zen Center. It suggested dropping in and having a cup of tea and an introduction. I told my partner, “I think I would actually like to do that! I’ve been reading about Buddhism for a long time and San Francisco Zen Center is an important piece of this whole puzzle including the history of the beatnik poets who occupied those walls—I’d like to go there!” So, I did!
I had a little orientation and stayed after for tea, and was able to converse with Myozen Joan Amaral, who is now the guiding teacher of the Zen Center North Shore in Boston. We talked about my experiences as a carpenter and farmer and she said, “Oh! You should come down to our monastery—Tassajara”, but I explained that I was only visiting CA for a few days. Later, though, I thought, maybe I could come back to the San Francisco Zen Center and stay for a few days and see what it’s like. I did. I stayed in a little cubicle in the basement and noted that it “kind of felt like home.”
Then, at dinner one evening, in the common dining room, I was talking to an older woman there—turns out it was the great sewing teacher Blanche Hartman, who said, “Oh, if you are from Skagit County you need to go up and check out Red Cedar Zen in Bellingham.”
So, I came up to Red Cedar—maybe around 2010-2011. I came once and I’ve come ever since! And, incidentally, I did go and spend 2 “work periods” at Tassajara, around 2013-2014. I have also done quite a few Sesshins with our sister sangha, Mountain Rain, over the years.
I think what Buddhism offers is a “systematic approach” to understanding ourselves—without telling us how to do it! Take responsibility for yourself!—it encourages! Pay attention to that one bright thing! And it’s amazing to find that when you do let go of something, how much space opens up.
Desiree: I wanted to acknowledge and appreciate your many years on the Board—and as Board President—and, your many years as Tenzo (head cook) also!
Bob: Yes, it was six years in the capacity on the Board and also many as Tenzo!—And, every time I walk into Red Cedar lately, I think “wow! how did this happen?!”…Each step of the way, something just needed to be done and, I thought, ok—I’ll do it! But, yes, it was a long haul; when I did finally step down from the Board, it was a feeling of relief when it would dawn on me, “Oh! I don’t have to do this letter or this task anymore!”
I also want to say that my work in land conservation continues, which started long before my time at Red Cedar. I was digging around in some files and came across a paper I’d written on the poetry of Gary Snyder. His writings and ethics are actually what brought me out here to the Pacific Northwest. They really informed my posture about things—including wanting to be a carpenter and a shipwright and wanting to work with my hands. So here was this paper from 1967 college days and how I was instinctively drawn to both his work and this region.
When I look back now, 60 years later, I think his charge to us is to re-inhabit the earth and settle in, and make it your home, and I certainly feel like I’ve done that here. I think I’ve been able to help stabilize, in some small way, an extraordinary place for everyone. My intention was not to create a legacy, but to answer a moment that needed to be answered and seemingly, it led to good results.
Here’s a little poem by Bob:
Skagit May The golden chain tree hangs its cascade everywhere I look-- now that I know it's name.
Skagit May
The golden chain tree
hangs its cascade
everywhere I look--
now that I know it's name.
Please enjoy this fabulous article now in Fidalgo Living, featuring Bob's lifelong work in land conservation:
[Fidalgo article]
~interview by Desiree Webster
Thank you for all of your support around our current financial challenges. I'm delighted to report that as I write this our new upstairs tenants are having their first business day at the temple! Endless Potential is a small healthcare company offering support to families of children with developmental delays.
Practically they are a perfect tenant for us with their regular hours of 8:30am - 2:30pm Monday-Friday. If you're there on a weekday morning for a meeting or some library time, you can enjoy the joyful sound of children upstairs and know they are receiving a wonderful leg-up in what may be a challenging journey into society as they grow up.
This rental closes a chunk of our monthly deficit. So grateful!
A bit of program news: now that Sunday mornings are open, we've refocused the teachings on Wednesday evenings. While both meetings continue to be fully open for drop-in and occasional visits, the teachings offered on Wednesday night will now be more in the nature of a Dharma Seminar than weekly Dharma talks on a variety of topics.
By "Dharma Seminar" I mean: the talks will go more deeply into traditional sources of Buddhist wisdom and often they will be offered as a series of 4-6 talks on one topic.
Through February I'll be offering four talks on the Heart Sutra - a core text we chant all the time but also a tricky one to make heads or tails of. It's deeply packed with references to a long list of teachings in Buddhist psychology and consciousness.
While reading is not required, if you'd like to engage more fully in that way, the book I most recommend is Thich Nhat Hanh's earlier book on the Heart Sutra entitled The Heart of Understanding. A study guide you can read online is also available. I'll be bringing printed copies to the temple as well. This guide lists additional books I find helpful.
Look forward to Kanho Chris unpacking another traditional text, The Song of the Jewel Mirror Samadhi, in April or May during Wednesday Dharma Seminar.
I was so touched on Sunday when our first Interfaith Peace Walk was offered on a rainy February day - 75 folks turned out to walk silently for peace.
Here's a video of us starting out from Zuanich Park (hear the rain?).
Walking steadily and mindfully in silence with the occasional ringing of a mindfulness bell we worked our way up to the Peace and Reconciliation Arch behind the library where a few of us offered brief reflections and we sang the Sutra on Loving Kindness together.
A deeply moving event and we're working on offering another in-town walk on Sunday February 15th in the early afternoon. One of our inspirations was the group of Thai Buddhist Monks making their way from their home monastery in Texas to Washington, D.C. - walking for peace. (Here is one of many videos about them posted online). And I was also moved by a similar effort from a group out of Buddha Eye Temple in Oregon a few months earlier (Liberty Walks).
As I shared with the group before we set out, Thich Nhat Hanh once said, "Some people think it's a miracle to walk on water, or it's a miracle to walk on air. The true miracle is walking on the Earth."
In a time when it's so hard to know what to do and so many of us are doing our best to be engaged, I'm so happy to be supporting the inclusion of mindful walking for peace.
We’re seeking individuals who feel called to deepen their practice within the sangha and contribute to its evolving structure.
This is an exciting time of growth and transformation as we reorganize and refine our governance. If you’re inspired to support this process and help shape the future of our community, we’d love to hear from you.
Please contact Mari Ritalahti, President of the Board, at mtritalahti@gmail.com to express your interest or learn more. (Note: She will be back from her time at Green Gulch Monastery February 1st!)
Curious about the Board's work?
You can read last month's Board of Directors Meeting Minutes in these folders in Ananda.
(Members of Red Cedar can request access to Ananda, our online file sharing system.)
Whatcom Faith Community Immigrant Support (WFCIS)
Red Cedar Zen Center is part of Whatcom Faith Community Immigrant Support, WFCIS. If anyone is interested in volunteering or donating food items to WFCIS please contact Janice Richardson; janicerich@gmail.com
Detentions in Whatcom County have increased in the past weeks, so support is needed for an increasing number of families. Thank you for considering helping our immigrant neighbors know they matter to this community!!
If you'd like to contribute gift cards they can be mailed to WFCIS c/o FCCB: 2401 Cornwall Ave. Bellingham, WA 98226
Many of you know long-time sangha member Michael Dietzel, although he tends to stay out of the limelight. Despite this, Michael has managed to do a tremendous amount of work on the new temple, working long hours in between work parties over the past many months, particularly in the Zendo. Established folks may have also enjoyed working with Michael during his time as our tireless Program Administrator a couple of years ago.
Michael was a novice monk for a period, not quite 30 years ago, at Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery in Redwood Valley, CA which, at that time, was a newly formed monastery in the Thai Forest tradition. Around those years he also spent time at the San Francisco Zen Center, Green Gulch Farm and Tassajara.
Note: We wanted to feature Michael a few months ago, but at the time he was getting ready for an incredible pilgrimage to Thailand, India and Nepal; when we heard the news, we decided to wait until his return, so we could hear a bit of his amazing journey.…
And, while many of us were on retreat at Samish and Sansui-ji, chanting over and over the first four lines of our meal chant, visions of Michael kept coming to mind, realizing that as we were chanting, he was stepping onto that very ground:
Buddha was born in KapilavastuEnlightened in Magadha Taught at VaranasEntered nirvana at Kushinagara
Kapilavastu… Magadha… Varanasi…Kushinagara—so, please join me for some snippets of his journey.
Desiree: Tell us a bit about how you came to be on this journey, about who organized and led this pilgrimage tour?
Michael: I’ve had a desire to go to India for many years, and, in fact, last summer after finding out that I was really going, I too had a similar thought during the meal chant at Samish—I will actually be stepping foot in these places! It raised the hair on the back of my neck. Many years ago I was given a book, Meeting the Buddha – On Pilgrimage in Buddhist India, which was about different people’s experiences being on pilgrimage. And then last October while visiting Abhayagiri I overheard the community’s abbot, Ajahn Nyaniko, talking about a pilgrimage he was leading in the fall of 2025 and, at the earliest opportunity, I asked him if it was possible to join. Unfortunately, he informed me that it was already full but offered to put me on the waiting list. Serendipitously, however, a space opened up! And so, it was. It all came together and after all these years, it happened!
Desiree: How wonderful! Ok, shall we use lines from our meal chant to touch on these major sites of the pilgrimage? I know they aren’t in the order that you traveled, but it will give us places to jump off from.
Michael: Of course!
Buddha was born in Kapilvastu…
Desiree: Kapilvastu was the place of the Buddha’s father’s kingdom—and where he grew up in palaces—and where he chose to leave home and family after encountering the truth of impermanence…Any thoughts about your experience there?
Michael: As it comes to us in the Buddhist scriptures, it was there that the Buddha left with his charioteer through the eastern gate, leaving behind his life in royalty, his family, his wife, his child, because of the strong calling of something he had not even determined yet—and we all felt the impact of that as we sat and chanted there. On the grounds there is also an earth goddess temple, which pre-dated the Buddha’s birth and was apparently the place his father and mother went to pray for a son. Even to this day, there is a temple priestess there and many still come to do the same; pray for a child, pray for an illness to be healed, etc. Thinking about this and imagining these happenings, it was another place that felt very hair raising.
...Enlightened in Magadha…
Desiree: Bodh Gaya. Must be an astonishing place—the place of the Buddha’s great enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. This must be a culminating point for the pilgrimages.
Michael: Yes, Bodh Gaya was in the state of Magadha, now Bihar, and is absolutely the “epicenter” of, I would say, the Buddhist world. It was incredibly inspiring to see represented there every Buddhist tradition, every country imaginable…thousands of people gathered all the way around the Mahabodhi stupa paying homage to the Buddha—and homage to the lineage of ancestors. I wasn’t doing a lot of thinking—it was just a heartfelt experience of joy at seeing all these people together—thousands of years—hundreds of thousands or millions of pilgrims…I heard that somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000 people are on-site each day, doing their services, practicing meditation, doing prostrations, etc. People from all over the world chanting in their native languages. We noticed that we seemed to be the only group was doing some of our chants in English, and Ajahn Nyaniko felt that it was important to more-or-less represent us, in the West, by doing so.
Desiree: You mentioned that you had an 8-day retreat here after the main pilgrimage was over—but it was not necessarily the quiet and deeply serene place that we might imagine…
Michael: Yes! Ajahn Nyaniko reflected on the retreat after returning, saying, “what was I thinking?” (Jokingly)… It was filled with the sounds of all traditions—with microphones and speakers and even soundboards, as well as horns, drums, cymbals, etc. And yet!—maybe just because my mind couldn’t think with all the noise, my inner experience was settled and my mind quieted quickly, possibly because of all these expressions of faith.
...Taught in Varanasi…
Desiree: Thank you!...Let’s move into places now where the Buddha taught… Varanasi, Sarnath, Shravasti/Jeta’s Grove…
Michael: Sarnath and Varanasi are very close to each other. There is a large stupa there in Sarnath that is believed to be the place where the Buddha gave his first teaching—the first turning of the wheel. And nearby Varanasi is the ancient city famous, among other things, for the burning ghats—the religious cremations on the Ganges river; a very sacred spot for Hindus. Hundreds of people continue to be cremated there daily where this strong tradition continues.
Desiree: Please tell me more about Shravasti and Jeta’s Grove, the place where the Buddha spent so many rains retreats. I saw photos where the monks and participants offered many beautiful flowers; could you talk about that a little?
Michael: Our tour organizer, Khun Lek, had arranged for thousands of flowers to be brought to the remains of the kuti, or hut, in Jeta’s Grove where the Buddha lived. The group lined the wall of the structure with yellow and orange marigolds, as well as rose buds and rose petals, and everyone had an opportunity to make an individual offering within the part of the structure that is believed to have been the Buddha’s personal sitting space. (Across the pilgrimage the places where the Buddha is said to have resided is where flowers would be offered.) Our group was meditating as these offerings were swept up at the end of the day, and Ajahn Nyaniko noted that it was as if the merit of the offering, our offering, was being swept into eternity in real time, swept away for the benefit of others. It was quite joyful to be able to be part of this.
In Shravasti, close to Jeta’s Grove, we also went to Anathapidika’s house and the Angulimala stupa. Reflecting on Jeta’s Grove where we were earlier in the day, we were touched by the generosity of Anathapindika, the wealthy layman who was essentially bankrupted by buying Jeta’s Grove for the Buddha and the sangha and later using his riches to offer meals to the monastics. Maybe a few hundred yards away was a stupa where the relics of Angulimala were buried; transformed from a brutal killer to an awakened practitioner after opening to the teachings of the Buddha—never to regress from the path of understanding and love.
...Entered Nirvana in Kushinagara
Desiree: We talked briefly, a few days ago, about this place, where the Buddha took his final breaths. You said that, surprisingly, this place struck you instantly…
Michael: Yes, out of all the pilgrimage places, this was the place that I was almost immediately brought to tears. You asked me before, why now, why did I go on this journey now? As I said, I had wanted to go to India for many years, but this whole trip felt moved by gratitude…for having encountered the Buddha’s teachings and for whatever reason, being there in Kushinagara, it felt so real, the thankfulness for everything, the gratitude for everything. It was deeply moving…the great fortune of being born in this life and finding this ancient path…it feels so remarkable...
Desiree: I know we touched on your extraordinary journey by focusing on these four main sites as a jumping off point--and I wish we could explore everything a bit more—but is there any other place that we’ve missed that affected you in a profound way?
Michael: The one other place I would like to mention specifically is Vulture’s Peak. It was here that the Buddha shared the Heart Sutra, here that he offered the Lotus Sutra…and here we were, at the Buddha’s hut. The energy there was tangible! Right there where the Buddha and his disciples lived —so incredible. And, directly below the kuti remains are caves where the Buddha’s disciples stayed and practiced together—Shariputra, Mahakashyapa, Mahamaudgalyayana and others; sitting together and soaking in his teachings—I could almost sense their presence. Yes, it was such a special place. Knowing those sutras, and chanting and studying them together in the present, I had this heartfelt wish that the sangha back in Bellingham could also experience this. Our organizer, Khun Lek, has led over 100 Buddhist holy site pilgrimages and did such an unbelievable job shepherding our group along the pilgrimage. If there is ever a possibility of doing it again with our Red Cedar Community I would certainly want to consider her as our organizer. I really felt that every step of the journey was an offering of deep gratitude.
Deep bows for sharing with us, Michael. I know we weren’t there physically with you, but somehow your energy and joy are palpable!
Stop by and have a chat with Michael if you'd like to hear more about his experiences, and, if you have an interest in hearing about the pilgrimage from Ajahn Nyaniko, the tour leader and abbot of Abhayagiri, check it out here on YouTube: The Power of Pilgrimage|Ajahn Nyaniko
~Interview by Desiree Webster
Note: We've had a week-long sesshin across the summer solstice in June annually since 1993 led by founding teacher Zoketsu Norman Fischer. It's been a beloved retreat by many - its own sangha practically - and an important part of Red Cedar Zen's development. Norman, who will be turning 80 in 2026, has decided it's time to step back and also to give more space for Nomon Tim, Shuso Chris and the "Samish sangha" to grow up more fully without his presence. We hope Samish regulars will be able to keep coming! The 2026 sesshin will be held June 12-20 and registration is open. May this Dharma continue through many generations.
Dear sangha,
I am sorry to say I will not be coming to Samish Island for sesshin in 2026. It seems that 2025 was my last sesshin there, after I am not sure how many years, how many decades, how many people, how much life lived.
I love Samish and I love all of you, and I am sad that I will not be back again. But at last summer’s sesshin I had a very strong and clear feeling that it was my last time.
For some years Tim and I have been talking about when the end would come. And I have been feeling increasingly uneasy that my being at Samish prevents the community somehow from its full expression. Not that Tim or anyone else has said or even felt this. But I have felt it.
Everything that begins ends and, sad as that may be, it is also happy because it means there is a bright future as we walk ahead, carrying the past with us.
I will not be disappearing completely. I am still alive and healthy and will be continuing my practice. I trust my friendships with all of you will continue.
And I’m glad to hear that you plan to continue offering this sesshin and I have every confidence in Tim, Chris, and all of you as you carry on this wonderful tradition of an annual full week sesshin.
Thank you so much for all these years of practice together. They have been the treasure of my life. I don’t know why I have been so lucky to have practiced with you so harmoniously and so beautifully for so long. I am proud of that, and of you and what you have established in Bellingham.
May it continue for many generations!
yrs, Norman
Tim Nguyen shares, "I have been part of a Buddhist family my whole life from starting in Vietnam where we lived...so being here practicing feels very natural, having grown up Buddhist. My parent's teacher was Thich Nhat Hanh and they took me to many gatherings in Thich Nhat Hanh's community where I got used to sitting and practicing. I listened to many Dharma talks from the wonderful teachers under Thich Nhat Hanh also. Then around 30 years ago the family moved to the U.S.
My parents moved to CA and and some years ago I moved to Seattle. I was part of a Buddhist group in Seattle. The closest to my place was "SIMS"--sister group to BIMS--Bellingham Insight Meditation Society here.
When I moved here about 10 years ago, I was seeking a group, a community--and started sitting then with BIMS. Then I started sitting here too. I feel that it is so important, as a community, to do more than just sitting--the activities draw me in--the work parties...the wilderness experiences (where this photo was taken) ...the social gatherings... These were all important in the community in Vietnam. It was all part of what we did--not just sitting--but building community together.
I miss that aspect, so, this is definitely why I enjoyed coming to the work parties at contributing to our new temple and helping out."
Tim relates that he comes as often as he can--(he takes that bus everywhere!) Hope to see you soon again, Tim, and thank you so much for your contributions to our new temple! ~ interview by Desiree
Our Celebration, culminating with the Dharma Inquiry, ending our Fall Practice Period was light-hearted and joyful (and with a bit of relief, it seems, from our Shuso!) with a lovely ceremony and time to gather after in Cloud Hall. We all appreciated how wonderful it is to have these gatherings at our beautiful Sansui-ji. Many comments from the community made it apparent how much we are truly grateful for this new, wonderful, co-created space which we now occupy. Congratulations, Junka Ken!! May your experience serve you well in your continued journey!
And thanks to our Benji, Enka Aidan, for his support of the Shuso through the practice period--and for his poem below to start the call and response!!
"Thoroughly separate the wheat from the chaff; dig many holes, throw them in together--and wait for growth. A watched pot always boils eventually!"
Red Cedar Zen Community is a 501(c) non-profit organization.
